


I Will Guide You When It Gets Too Much

by Ayzup



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Gen, MacCready is kind of a dick, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Relationship, Sturges knows all, gender neutral sole survivor - Freeform, mild pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2019-01-01 05:35:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12149727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayzup/pseuds/Ayzup
Summary: Preston worries that he's spreading the Sole Survivor too thin, and the settlements concern is addressed.





	I Will Guide You When It Gets Too Much

“So, to recap, the settlers at the Slog are interested in joining the Minutemen and establishing supply lines for their tarberries, Abernathy farm has proper defenses, and the water supply going to Graygarden has been fixed.” Sole switched off their Pip-Boy and grinned. They looked exhausted, and how could they not be after trekking across the Commonwealth to help all of these settlements? Preston garvey had offered to travel with them, but with the recent reclamation of the Castle, they had insisted he remain at the fortress for just a little while longer to oversee the rebuilding progress in the General’s absence. Preston was beginning to regret agreeing to stay behind because Sole looked like they had not slept in the days they were gone.

“Is everything going smoothly here?” Sole’s voice brought Preston back to the present moment.

“Smoother than I had hoped. We’ve been clearing away the rubble blocking the paths to the underground passages, and I just received word that one of the Minutemen from before my time, Ronnie Shaw, has agreed to come back and help.” Preston was pleased that they were receiving so much help, and as more settlements were established, their numbers would only grow. People were taking the Minutemen seriously once again.

“A veteran? We could always use more of those, especially here. I know at least two ghouls from the Slog plan on making their way down here.” Sole looked around; the Castle looked more like a functioning base than ancient ruins even in the short time they had been gone. “So what else do you have for me?”

Preston hesitated; ever since rebooting Radio Freedom, it had been easier for settlements to contact the Minutemen. As a result, more requests for aid and suggestions for new locations had been pouring in. There was no short amount of work to be done, but…

“Don’t worry about it, General. It’s nothing that a few of our volunteers can’t handle.” Preston tried to put on his most convincing smile, but a single raised eyebrow from Sole told him they were not having any of it.

“Okay, what’s going on? Normally when I get back, you have another list of settlements that need help.” Preston blushed and ducked his head in an attempt to conceal his embarrassment. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt Sole’s hand on his arm. “Come on, let’s go back to the General’s office and sort this out.”

Before they left, Sole had begun setting up the General’s office in a way that would make any of the leading Minutemen, including Preston and Ronnie, when she arrived, feel welcome and comfortable to use the space as a communal strategizing area. Preston had already begun laying maps and blueprints across the large desk. The most intact sofas and chair had been moved into the office as well, and Sole all but collapsed onto the nearest sofa, patting the space beside them for Preston to join them.

“So what happened while I was gone to make you change your mind about sending me out?”

“It was brought to my attention that I have been asking a lot of you with the settlements and now the Castle. I know you’ve been working with Detective Valentine to find your son, as well as take care of the other responsibilities you’ve picked up along the way, and it’s not fair of me to keep asking you to dedicate all of your time to one cause.”

Sole sighed. “MacCready and Deacon need to mind their own business,” they muttered. It was no secret that among those Sole had picked up during their travels, the mercenary and the spy had two of the loudest voices of opposition against the Minutemen. Most of the time, Preston could ignore them, but when they started bringing Sole into their criticisms, it was much more of a slap in the face for him.

Ever since Sole had come to rescue the Minuteman and his refugee settlers, Preston had held a certain awe for them. It was not until a little while after they had cleared Sunshine Tidings Co-Op for new settlers that Sturges mentioned the way Preston looked at Sole was more than admiration. Sturges had been traveling with Preston for a while, and he assured the Minuteman that their extended companionship was the only reason why he had picked up on Preston’s feelings. Thus far, that had proven true as no one else had mentioned a similar observation.

However, since realizing just how deeply he loved this caring, selfless person out of time, he had been hyper-sensitive of every aspect of his interactions with them, which was why it had hit so hard when he overheard MacCready talking to Piper shortly after the Castle had been won and Sole set out for the Slog.

_ “You know, it’s pretty selfish of Garvey to keep sending Sole off on these stupid jobs,” the merc said in no soft tone.” _

_ “Selfish? How so?” Piper replied. The two of them had been on top of one of the intact towers, MacCready to keep a lookout and Piper because she had no interest in spending ‘quality time’ with any of the Minutemen. Preston had been surveying the perimeter to see where they could improve their defenses, and he overheard the sniper and the reporter before he saw them - or they saw him. _

_ “Sole’s got more important sh- er, things to worry about, like finding Shaun. If Duncan was missing, you can bet that I wouldn’t be running around on the whim of some self-righteous prick. Family comes before everything else.” There was a beat of silence. _

_ “Isn’t ‘prick’ a curse word, Mac?” _

_ “I- that’s not the point!” MacCready gave a frustrated huff. “If Nat had been taken by the Institute, you’d stop at nothing to find her, right?” _

_ “Of course!” _

_ “See? Sole doesn’t get to do that because they’re too nice to tell Garvey to fu- I mean, to piss off. I’m sure any of the other morons around here would be more than capable of building a couple of turrets wherever they’re needed.” Another moment of silence. _

_ “Okay, you definitely owe a cap to the swear jar for ‘piss off.’” _

“Preston?”

He jumped when Sole said his name, only just realizing he had been zoning out. “Sorry…” It only took him a couple of seconds for him to remember why he lost focus in the first place. “It’s no one’s fault but my own that I’ve been trying - however unwittingly - to monopolize your time. And if you could see yourself right now, you could see how exhausted you look. Sole, you need a break, and I need to stop getting in the way of you finding your son.”

Sole turned to face him completely and put their hands on top of his own; he was not sure when he started clenching his fists, but once he felt Sole’s thumbs gently stroking the backs of his hands, he tried his best to relax.

“If I thought it was too much, I’d tell you. Trust me, this is something I want to do.” Sole looked down for a moment at their joined hands, almost looking embarrassed, before they continued, “I was in the army, you know, before the bombs fell. We were fighting to make the world a better place, but we’d get boots on the ground and leave a mess in our wake with no intention of helping the people we left behind. They didn’t ask for war, but it was brought to them anyway. And we didn’t stick around to help them rebuild. I don’t know if we would have, after the war, if we had won, but it didn’t seem to be at the top of anyone’s list of priorities.

“I’m still looking for Shaun. That hasn’t changed. But this is important to me too. So, please, I don’t want you to stop sending me out to settlements. I’d prefer to have you by my side again; there’s no one I trust more than you.” Sole smiled and Preston blushed again, but he nodded.

“I’m with you, General… Sole. I’m always with you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Fic title comes from the song Beside You by Marianas Trench.
> 
> Wow, look at this folks, I actually got within the word count I aimed for! Don't expect this type of consistency in my other works; I don't even expect it of myself.
> 
> If you'd like me to write for another pairing or challenge me with a prompt, drop me a message.
> 
> Characters are not mine, they are owned by Bethesda, I would really like not to go to prison, blah blah blah.
> 
> Main Tumblr: betweenlovelines  
> Fallout Tumblr: the-folly-of-rin


End file.
